Russian President Vladimir Putin sits at the top of a power structure he helped create. But it wasn't always this way. He was once an unemployed KGB agent looking for a job. He proved a master at upward mobility.

When Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, publicly revealed that he was gay, it was met largely with support and, frankly, little surprise. Cook hadn't been in the closet, he just hadn't talked about it publicly. But one place where the announcement was panned was Russia, and in response a Russian university took down a memorial that been erected to Apple's founding CEO, Steve Jobs.

American Jennifer Gaspar is married to a Russian and has lived in the country for ten years. As of August 8, she's no longer welcome to stay. Her American citizenship, work with NGOs and prominent husband might have something to do with it — but no one is sure.

A new round of US sanctions against Russia is taking aim at several members of Vladimir Putin's inner circle. One of them is Igor Sechin, considered the Russian energy czar and a close adviser to Putin.

Every March 9, Ukrainians celebrate the father of Ukrainian literature, poet Taras Shevchenko. But this year — on his 200th birthday — the celebrations took on special meaning. Centuries ago, Shevchenko was an advocate for an independent Ukraine, free of Russian domination.

The Russian Parliament has passed an amnesty law that covers two very high-profile Russian cases. It calls for the release of the two jailed members of the protest punk band Pussy Riot. And the amnesty is expected to end the prosecution of the Arctic 30, the Greenpeace activists arrested as they protested Russian oil drilling in the Arctic.

The Obama administration continues to argue that the international community must take action over Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons. In the meantime, though, Russia continues to do all it can to stave off an attack, including introducing a plan for Syrian chemical weapons to be placed under "international control."